Detachable connecter



y 1935' M. HOLCZER 2,000,757

DETACHABLE CONNECTER Filed March 9, 1954 INVENTOR Michael Holczar.

. .An objectof my. invention Patented May 7, 1935 UNITEDISTAT n 'DETACHABL'E c mm V V 'Micha el flolczer, Cleveland, Ohio 7' ApplicationlV Iarch 9,-.}19:34,js i-ia1 i io. 7144351 My invention relates in-generalfto detachable connecters and more particularly to a combination pinand lock wherein the pin; is adapted to ;fit' into an opening of the 'detachable con necter rand wherein 4 the lock is adapted to prevent the ?pin from working, or otherwise escaping: ontofthe opening. 1,,- v

relates ;to the provision UffiipPiIl having. a reduced portion and locking means adapted ;to engagevthe reduced portion to lock the pin against escaping from-an opening into whichitmaybe mounted, we

"Another" object 0f" my'yinvention -relates to ailock' having two complementary-jaws adapted to engage a reduced portion of aipinvwhi'chin-l ter-connects'two detachable parts.

- Other objects and a fuller understanding of myxinvention may "be had byireferring-tothe, following description andzclaims taken in conjunctionewith the accompanying vdrawing in which: 1 I f- ;.1.

.CF'igure 1 represents a'view-showing' the manner iz'rwhich myfinventionimayfbe utilized;

V Figure 2 -is a plan-view looking downwardly of the lockingfeature of my invention} i' Figure 3' is a perspective view of" the locking feature 01 my invention, ,beingillustrated in unlocked position; ,7

the-locking feature of my'inventiong Figure *4 is a plan'view looking u wardly of 'Fi'gure 5 illustrat'es another use of my invena tion=inaddition to that shown in' F'igur'e 1, and Figure 6 represents a fragmentary view of the lower end; offa pin to which my locking means may be engaged.

With reference to Figure I of. the drawing,

I illustrate my invention as being ernployedto inter-connect a detachable, coupling having two disenga'geable parts l0 and II. There are many applications t'owhich my invention'maybe employed, one vof such applications is .found inv connection with .iarm implements in thatthe part "I 0 may designate the'draw barofatrac tor, and the .part I] may represent the tongue for a farm implement such as ajplowfandi the like. ,ZA'nother use for my; invention. is found v in connection with trailers-.for motor vehicles. In thiswconnection the partiill may designate the draw-bar mounted on the rear endwof a motor vehicle, and the part H mayde signate thextongue-of -the-trai1er. In such applications the pins heretofore used to inter-connect the .draw' bar and the 'tongueare disposed1 to work themselves out oi the opening into'which the pinsaremounted, and thus the'purpose of my invention is the provision of a combinationpinand lock which prevents the pin from working; or o'therw ise escaping 'out of the 'openinginto whichit is mounted. To this end. my invention ini general comprises a pin I2 having a reduced portion I3, Iand"l'o'cking means [4 adapted to, engage the reduced portion I3 of the pin.

The locking m ans {which is'designated by the reference character 14" comprises, in general, 1 two complementary "jaws l6 and I! connected atone-of their ends by ,meanspf a rivet I 8, a

slidabl engaging member 2| for securing the,"

two complementary jaws" l6] and I1 in their closed position; and aretaining member 20 for retaining the slidable engaging member 21 in its engaging position, For! the convenience f of description the jaw IE will be designated as t he major. ijaw, and the jaw I! will be designated as the rninor'jaw. Each of thetwo jaws, is

providedwith a semi-circular cut awa'y'portio'n so that :whenthe-two jaws are 'intheir closed position the 'two' semircircular cut-awziytportions forrn' a circular opening fiorengaging the depressed portion; 13 of the pin I2; illus-' trated, them ajor jaw jl'o is provided with an extension which extends beyondv the end of the v minor jawv -l 'i, an'd which isso positionedthat a zpin 2 2"which extends through two tabs 'intef rally. formed with the retainin mb T2 "aI'IdIWO complementary tabs integrally formed with the extension of the jaw/I1; In-order, to constrain the retaining member to lie against the extension of the major jaw 11 I utilize a; spring 23 which'normallybiases vthe retaining member 20 against the extension mf -the major jaw l6. a f i The openedposition of the jaws lli-and l1 isshownz-in Figure} and in this position the slidable engaging, member 2|; is interlocked under. the retaining member 20. In order to preventthe slidable; engaging member 2! .irom e5 taining member 29 is raised after which the slidable engaging member 2| is moved towards the pin for engaging the two complementary jaws l6 and I1. After the slidable engaging member 2| is moved beyond the end of. the

retaining member 20 the operator then releases the retaining member thus allowing the spring 23 to bias the retaining member 20 against the extension of the major jaw I1. the joint action of the slidable engaging member 2| and the retaining member 20, the two complementary jaws l6 and I! are positively secured in their closed position, being the position shown in Figures 2 and 4. This means that the two complementaryjaws l6 and J1 lock the pin I2 from working, or otherwise escaping, out of the opening into which it may be mounted.

In disengaging the locking means from the pin l2 it is only necessary for the operator 'to raise the retaining member 20 and move'the slidable engaging member 2| underneath the raised end of the retaining member 20, after which the op-' erator releases the retaining member 20 which holds the slidable engaging member 2| under neath the raised end of the retaining member As illustrated best in Figure 3 the complementary jaws l6 and I! ata point between the semiecircular cut-away portions I9 and the extension of the major jaw ll, are bent downwardlyso that the upper surface of the retaining member 20 and the slidable engaging member 2| are slightly below the surface of the two complementary jaws l6 and lladjacent the part that engages the reduced portion l3 of the pin 12. This means that should the pin, [2' be raised, or should the pin 12 tend to work out oflthe opening of the coupling the slidable engaging member 2! and the retaining member2 will not be subject to injury by striking the underneath side of the part ll] of the coupling.

In Figure I illustrate a modified use'ofmy combination pin and lock in that'the pin I2 is connected to the tongue 3| of the drawn *vehicle or implement, and that the'forward end of the pin I2 is mounted within an opening of a crossmemberfil! of the motor vehicle or the tractor. In this use of my invention the locking means i4 is subjected to the pull of the tractor or the motor vehicle. In this arrangement the space between the retaining member 29 and the cross- I member 30 is relatively close so that the retaining member cannot be raisedsuificiently-to allow the slidable engaging member 2| I to be moved under the retaining member 20 unless there'is some clearance between that portion of the looking means adjacent the pin l2 and the depressed portion of the cross-member 38. Therefore'it is impossible for the locking means to become disengaged from the pin l2 so'long as the motor vehicle or tractor is pulling the trailer or farm implement. r

For the convenience of the operator, and to By means of guard against losing the locking means l4 it may be suitably connected to the upper end of the pin l2 by means of a chain I5.

Since certain changes in my invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description and shown ,in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention: l. A combination pin and lock wherein the pin is adapted to fit into an opening and wherein the lock is adapted to prevent the pin from working, or otherwise escaping, out of the opening, comprising a pin having a reduced portion,

a major and a minor jaw hinged to each other atone end and adapted to engage the said reduced portion of the pin, the arrangement of the major and minor jaw being such that the major jaw is provided with an off-set extension which extends beyond the end of the minor jaw, and which is wider than the major jaw and is so positioned that its lateral edges are substantially in alignment with the lateral edges or the major and minor jaws when they are in their closed position, securing means adapted to" slidably engage the said extension, saidsecuring means being also adapted to slidably engage the major and minor jaws to secure them in their closed position, and means for retaining the securing means in its engaging position to recure the major and minor jaws in their closed position, whereby the arrangement of the jawsand securing means locks:the pin against escaping from the opening.

2. A lock for a member having a reduced portion comprising, in combination, a major and a minor jaw hinged to each other at one end and adapted to engage the said reduced portion of the member, the arrangement of the major and minor jaw being such that the major jaw is provided with an oiT-set extension which extends beyond the endof the minor jaw, and which is wider than the major jaw and is so positioned that its 'lateraledges are substantially in alignment .with the lateral edges of the major and minor jaws .when they are in their closed position, securing means adapted to slidably engage the said extension, said securing means being also adapted to slidably engage the major. and minor jawsto secureithem in their closed position, and means for retaining the securing means in its engagi g position to secure the major and. minor jaws in their closed position.

3. A locking device comprising, in combination, a major jaw, an off-set extension connected to one end of the major jaw, said off-set extension being wider than-the major jaw and having one edge thereof substantially in alignment with the outside edge of the major jaw, a minor jaw hinged to theother end of the major jaw and adapted to swing relative to both the major jaw and the extension, saidminor jaw being of "suchwidth that, when the jaws are closed, the

having one edge thereof substantially'in alignment with the outside edge of the major jaw, a minor jaw hinged to the other end of the major jaw and adapted to swing relative to both the major jaw and the extension, said minor jaw being of such width that, when the jaws are closed, the outside edge of said minor jaw is substantially in alignment with the corresponding outside edge of theextension, securingv means adapted to slidably engage the said extension, said securing means being also adapted to slidably engage the major and minor edge thereof "substantially in alignment with the outside edge of the major jaw, a minor jaw hinged to the other'end of the major jaw and adapted to swing relative to both the major jaw and the extension, said minor jaw: being of such width that, when the jaws are closed, the outside-edge of said minor jaw is substantially in alignment with thecorresponding' outside edge of the extensionjand-securing means adapted to slidably means on the extension when the jaws are 7 unlocked. n I

MICHAEL HOLCZER. 

